Performance analysis of motor for electric aviation

With a rising interest and improving technology regarding electric aviation, the Swedish ELISE-project aims to built a functional 21-seated electric aircraft by the year 2025. The aim of this thesis is to analyze the performance of a scalable model of an electric motor optimized for aircraft, in terms of magnetic leakage flux, generated back-EMF, torque constant and efficiency. Finite element simulations in 2D were performed to acquire theoretical values of the torque, losses and back-EMF, and these were then compared to experimental tests on the back-EMF of the motor and 3D-simulations of the leakage flux and iron losses of the motor. The comparisons were then used to adjust the remanent flux density of the permanent magnets in the2D model to make it coincide better with the actual motor. Experimental tests were also performed on the motor to estimate the actual non-resistive losses. Finally, the efficiency of the motor was mapped out for different rotational speeds and amounts of input power. The experimental study was limited due to technical constraints, but did verify some of the simulated values. The acquired efficiency at rated conditions was considered accurate and satisfactory, but the non-resistive losses and torque constant were still uncertain. Future tests of these parameters with better equipment were considered necessary, as well as simulations of the heating of the motor before running it at higher loads